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Old 12-27-2013, 06:50 PM   #19
jimbaker
Dojo: Aikido of Norfolk/ Aikido Society of Memphis
Location: Norfolk, VA
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 167
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Re: YouTube: 1984 NY Aikikai 20th anniv demo Chiba-sensei

I was there, standing next to the upstairs camera, and this is filtered through 30 years of memory, but the clip leaves off the first part of the demonstration.
Chiba Sensei and Juba Nour were performing Chiba Sense's sword katas when something went wrong and Chiba Sensei's bokken was knocked out of his hands. He picked it up again and the three people next to me simultaneously went "Uh-oh". Nour resumed the katas and Chiba Sensei didn't. It is quite a testament to Juba's ukemi that he could react when the demo went completely sideways to what he was expecting.
My totally subjective observation and that of the others I spoke with around me was that Chiba Sensei seemed angry at having dropped his bokken and was aiming it at his uke. Of course, you would have to ask one of them directly what they felt, but it left many watching with a bad feeling and there were several boos from the audience.
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